Is a قفطان a dress? بالنسبة لمعظم الأسواق، فإن الإجابة بالكاد تهم, لأن كلاهما يدفعان نفس الرسوم. In the الولايات المتحدة الامريكانية it can change the duty on a silk or linen kaftan from 16.9% ل 11.2%, once the extra duty on Indian goods is included. This guide explains how customs tells the two apart, where the rates differ, and why the cut of the garment, not the invoice wording, decides. Rates were checked against the official tariffs on 7 أكتوبر 2026.
Two ways customs sees a kaftan
- As a dress. A pull-over kaftan worn in public as a dress is classified with women’s فساتين. US Customs has ruled this way on caftans.
- As an “other garment”. A loose, open or cover-up style kaftan, such as a beach cover-up or a robe-style piece worn over other clothing, is often entered in the “other garments” heading, alongside garments like kimonos and kurtas.
Classification follows what the garment is: its cut, how it is worn and how it is described and marketed. Renaming the same garment on the invoice does not change it, and a wrong entry can be corrected by customs with duty and penalties owed.
Where it changes the duty
| Woven kaftan, made in India | نحن: dress cut | نحن: robe or cover-up cut | المملكة المتحدة, الاتحاد الأوروبي, أستراليا |
|---|---|---|---|
| قطن | 8.4% + 10% = 18.4% | 8.1% + 10% = 18.1% | Same rate for both cuts |
| Viscose or polyester | 16% + 10% = 26% | 16% + 10% = 26% | |
| Silk or linen | 6.9% + 10% = 16.9% | 1.2% + 10% = 11.2% |
The “+ 10%” is the Section 301 duty on products of India, collected since 24 يوليو 2026. In the UK (12%, 0% under CETA), the EU (12%, 9.6% under GSP) وأستراليا (5%, 0% under ECTA), the dress and robe cuts carry the same rate.
Worked example: a silk kaftan into the US
حرير القفطان invoiced at USD 10,000, shipped by sea. US duty is charged on the invoice value.
| Classified as dresses | Classified as other garments | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal duty | 6.9% = USD 690.00 | 1.2% = USD 120.00 |
| Section 301 duty, 10% | دولار أمريكي 1,000.00 | دولار أمريكي 1,000.00 |
| Merchandise Processing Fee + Harbor Maintenance Fee | دولار أمريكي 47.14 | دولار أمريكي 47.14 |
| Total at entry | دولار أمريكي 1,737.14 | دولار أمريكي 1,167.14 |
The difference, دولار أمريكي 570 on this shipment, comes only from the classification. That is why a design that is genuinely a cover-up should be described and photographed as one, and why a design that is worn as a dress should be entered as a dress.
How to get certainty
- Describe the garment fully on the invoice: وقصه, opening, length and fibre content by weight.
- For a new style or a large programme, ask US Customs for a binding ruling before shipping. Rulings are free and public, and they bind every port.
- Keep fibre-content records. The predominant fibre by weight decides the rate line.
Check your own garment
- Import duty on kaftans from India to the US, both cuts with a calculator
- المملكة المتحدة · ألمانيا · أستراليا · تشيلي
We manufacture kaftans, dresses and cover-ups in India. Talk to us about styles for the US market.
Sources
- US International Trade Commission: Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (الفساتين النسائية; other garments; Chapter 99, Section 301 products of India)
- US Customs and Border Protection: CROSS rulings database (search “caftan”)
- Federal Register: USTR Section 301 notice (28 يوليو 2026); GovInfo: Merchandise Processing Fee FY2027
- HMRC: UK Trade Tariff; European Commission: Access2Markets; Australian Border Force: Working Tariff Schedule 3
Indicative information from official tariffs, written 7 أكتوبر 2026. Rates verified on against the official tariffs. It is not a classification ruling; for certainty, ask US Customs for a binding ruling.
Planning a kaftan range? تعرف على أسلوب عملنا كـ kaftan manufacturers in India.
View the Kaftans, الكيمونو & beachwear lookbook → لمحة عن أحدث مجموعتنا. اطلب المجموعة الكاملة: المزيد من التصاميم عند الطلب.
